Tanyon Sturtze - MLB New York Yankees- What It Takes To Be In The Big Leagues

Mike Hartman, performance mindset strategist. This is Develop the Mindset of a Champion with former Stanley cup champion Mike Hartman. Welcome to another episode today. My guest is Tanian Sturt. Tanyon is a former major league baseball player who played for the Chicago Club, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tanyon, welcome to the podcast.

Hey, I appreciate it. Thank you for having me.

Well, the listeners would really love to hear your stories. We tell a lot of stories on here. It's called Stories to Develop the Mindset of a Champion. We'd love to hear your story. Starting out as a little kid playing little league baseball all the way through to the major leagues.

Yeah, great. So obviously had a big love for baseball at a very young age. You know, minor leagues, little leagues, played as much as we put obviously back then. We didn't play as many games or travel ball as much as they do nowadays. But, you know, I played as much as I possibly could growing up in Boston. You know, the seasons are short, so we played other sports because it got really cold and we couldn't get on the baseball field. But, you know, always loved baseball. Always loved. I was a huge Red Sox fan growing up. So always remember going to Fenway park and dreaming about being on that field and playing and, you know, just develop through, you know, getting bigger and going through high school and stuff like that and finally getting that opportunity to put on a major league baseball uniform was just a dream come true.

Yeah, there's no better feeling like, than. Than making it to the big league. But what was your main motivation? Like, what was your why behind it? Because you said you love baseball. So what was that why behind being a major league baseball player?

Well, as a kid, my father always took me to opening day. I always skipped school and went to opening day of baseball with him every year until I was about a junior in high school. So he was a big baseball fan. It was always on in my house. So I just always, always wanted to be, like I said, a baseball player and always dreamt to be a baseball player. So I would work every day out in front of the house. I had steps across the street that I would always throw a baseball against. My baseball would be mangled up because of the cement stairs and just try to pretend that I was in a big league game against big league hitters and trying to hit spots on those steps and strike those guys out or whatever it was and come up with situations. But I was always dreaming about being.

A player and it's great to dream. So when I was a little kid, I grew up in Detroit, so I used to see the Boston Red Sox play. I was a big baseball fan. My dream was to be a baseball player. So I used to go to many Detroit Tiger games. We couldn't afford much where we grew up, so to make a long story short, we would sit up in the bleach when we would go to a game. In fact, I just did one of my podcasts about baseball not too long ago, and I love baseball. We actually lived behind a park in Detroit. So I get it. Baseball is a great game. But being in. You're from Boston, what it's not like being in Florida or California or out west. What did you enjoy most about playing baseball? What was that enjoyment like? Was it, was it batting? Was it fielding? You always wanted to be a pitcher. What was that enjoyment?

Yeah, so I was never a pitcher. I was always a position player. I was a shortstop in high school and third base in junior college. And when I got drafted, I had a really good arm, so I was always throwing the ball really hard across the diamond. I would, you know, get a couple starts here and there. But mainly I was a position player but not a very good hitter. So when I got drafted, they brought me down to Arizona and they said, listen, we're going to draft. The Oakland A's drafted me in the 23rd round. And when they came to my house to sign me, they said, we drafted you in the 23rd round, but we're going to change you to a pitcher. So when you go down to Arizona, you're going to have to really work on learning how to pitch and being a pitcher and work on your mechanics and stuff like that. So that was the mindset after draft day when that happened.

Well, that's great. At least he got drafted. You look back and I'm sure it was a dream come true just to get drafted. But you must have had some short term goals. So when I define a goal, we do a lot of goal training, like within our. Within coaching or in anything that we did. So a short term goal is the short term. That's something that measurable. Did you have a short term goal initially when you got drafted?

Yeah, every year. Every year I put a goal together. I never wanted to be in the same spot. So in baseball, it's a little bit different than other sports. We have a lot of minor league teams and each level is, you know, you don't want to stay at the same level for, for over a year. If you do, then other guys have that opportunity to catch you and pass you. So I always wanted to keep moving and keep moving and keep moving and I didn't want to have to go back to the same league for, for another season. So I kept doing that. When I got drafted, they put me in, in the apartment with two first round draft picks. So I said, well, here's my chance to work my butt off and just kind of stay with these guys as far as they can go. Because obviously first round draft choices get better opportunities than a 23rd round pick that's a shortstop trying to be a pitcher. So I said, okay, now we have to put the work in and just stay with these guys as long as we could.

I just talked about that and I know you're, you're, you know, baseball is your thing, but we've had a couple hockey podcasts and we talked about how it seems like the high draft choices always get that chance just because they have to. The scouts draft them. So the first, second and third rounders in hockey usually get the look right away and sometimes that's great. Coming in as the underdog, saying, okay, I know I'm as good as these guys and you have nothing to lose. What was your mindset like going into your first big league training camp?

Well, well, my first league, big league training camp was after we had the strike. So we had a strike. 94, 95. And I actually got traded that year to the Cubs and to go to the big leagues. So obviously when that happened, it's called a Rule 5 draft. I got Rule 5 in that after the whole, after the 94 season. And when they called and told me I got Rule 5 draft, I asked him if I had to go because I didn't really know what it meant. So I said, do I really have to go? I have all my friends here in Oakland. And I was just, I was in Triple A just about probably to break it into the big leagues and, and I got rule five to the Cubs. And so I went, I was really nervous. I didn't know if I was ready to be there or not. And to walk into that clubhouse with Mark Grace and Sammy Sosa and guys that we've been watching on TV for our life was, was a little bit different.

Yeah, it's like a dream come true. So I know, I've talked to you, plus I know a little bit about you. So you're one of those guys that got up at 5:30am and you worked your butt off. So I know you, I know you trained hard. I did a little research here. And plus I, I know a little bit about you, that you were one of those guys that really worked hard and did everything you can to make it. Tell me a little bit about your training program and what did you do to keep getting better and stronger.

Yeah, so when I first got drafted, obviously, like I said, I was a position player. So in order for me to be able to stay with the guys that I wanted to stay with, I had to, I had to really learn my mechanics and learn how to pitch. So the pitching coach, which was an unbelievable guy, I'll never forget him, Robin Fuson, he's actually judge in Tampa now, he was my pitching coach and he played a little bit in the big leagues. And every morning we would get on the bus, 5:30 in the morning and we would get to the ballpark and we would go down to mounds and we would work on my mechanics. And every day we would do this if I was pitching or not, just to make sure that I knew my mechanics for that day. So that kind of got me started on working hard and not taking anything for granted and making sure that I did everything that I possibly could to make sure that I was going to be a big leaguer.

And isn't that great when, when you look, you can look in the mirror and say that that's the whole key is like, hey, I did whatever I could to, to play in the big leagues. And so what did you like about training? Because I have a couple little questions here for you. Like, I know as a professional hockey player, I enjoyed it. It just. I love training and I love the after because I was able to eat and eat as much as I. I can't say as much as I want. I ate pretty healthy. But what did you like about training? Was there something, anything about it? Was the, was it the high, was it just getting in great shape? Can you share that?

I think, I think the great shape part, but I also knew that at the end of my hard training, I knew that it was going to pay off. So I think that's what get me. Kept me going in the gym and working hard and making sure I did my running and making sure that I, I did my shoulder weights and making sure that I had all my, my abs and stuff done. So I knew that if I put the work in that good things were going to happen and that it was going to pay off. So that always kept driving me so that I didn't skip days and say, I can take this day off. No, I didn't want to take that day off because I didn't want to show up to be something that was going to hurt me in the long run.

So was there anything you didn't like about training? Because there's a few things I didn't like about it. But was there anything within your training regimen that you didn't like about it?

I hated going for my five mile runs. I hated it. I thought it was. It always took me forever to get through it and I just hated going on it depending on where we were. So I would change up and, and I would run. So I run. There's a couple new stadiums now, but I've run every stadium stair in every base baseball park. So that's what, that's what I would end up doing is running the stadium stairs throughout the whole thing instead of going to do a five mile run.

That's great. So I say, you know, in baseball or any sport it's all about the little things and details that make a great athlete. And I just want you to take me back to your first major league baseball game because I'm a big baseball fan. Like I said, I love. My dream was to play baseball up to about 13, 14. I ended up playing hockey after. But it's something I wanted to do and I watched Mike Ford, he got called up. He's a New Jersey born kid, gets called up to the Yankees and his family was there. The smile was on his face was just unbelievable. Take me back to that first game that, that you played in the big leagues. Was your family there? Did you get, did you get the call? Share that with me?

No. So I, I actually made the team out of spring training because I got Rule 5 that year. Like I told you after the strike and we opened up in, I think it was Cincinnati, so the old Cincinnati ballpark with the Reds that had March shot and had the elephant and everything going around that you always used to watch on opening day. So it was pretty, pretty incredible to have that experience as my first one as opening day. I did not have my family there. They ended up coming to Chicago once. We ended up going home. But on the road we ended up, we ended up going Cincinnati and Pittsburgh for my first opening days which was absolutely incredible.

That's great. There's not a better feeling. I'm sure it happened. Was it like a blur? Like all of a sudden you're out there and you wake up the next day and you say hey what? Because you play exhibition games or spring training, but there's Nothing like playing in that real game I could imagine, right?

Yeah. So it was, it was, it was life changing just to be able to sit there, especially, like I said, with the guys that were on that team at the time. You know, you watch them all those years playing and then now you're sitting next to them. It was just surreal. And like I said, I didn't know if I was ready to be there at that time. I felt like I wasn't ready to be there at that time, which probably hurt me a little bit that year, but I thought that I was a little early, so I didn't really take advantage as much as I should have.

I know in hockey it's like, boy, you have that momentum going the first five games. I know that your pitching rotation could be a little bit different, but. But as a hockey player, you get through training camp, you go, I'm pretty good. Then you play the first game and hopefully the team wins opening night and you feel good about yourself. But that third or fourth game, you start realizing, do I really belong here? Did you, did you feel that a little bit or.

Yeah, so. So like I said, I always threw the ball hard so I could always. In the my leagues, I could pretty much get out of stuff that I was in. I mean, so obviously you give up runs and stuff like that, but I could always manage it in the minor leagues and it wasn't that case in the big leagues anymore. You can't manage it. You have to learn how to pitch and hit spots and not overpower the guys. So that was, that was also a learning curve once you get to the big leagues to realize that, hey, listen, you know, I just can't fire. You know, back then, 95 was hard. So 95 at these guys, they're just going to turn it around like it's nothing.

So you have a similar story to Trevor Hoffman. Because I knew Trevor, I used to train with him and actually my ex wife, his wife Tracy was in our wedding and Trevor was there and I really got to know him and he. He started the same way. I don't think he pitched until later. He was. I think he played infield. He might have been a third baseman. And it reminds me, you guys remind me of each other a lot. In fact, he told me he used to sleep with his gloves, with his glove every night. He says, I'm gonna. In the minors, he says, I'm gonna sleep with my glove every night until I play in a big league game. Did you have any rituals as a player or any superstitions as a player.

I think my superstitions changed depending on what was going on. You know, I always, if I had a good start or something like that, I kind of remember what I did that start and, and kind of, you know, you know, duplicate it for the next start. But I never slept with my gloves, but, but, you know, obviously I would, I would do certain things the same way and try to. And try to. I think everybody is superstitious to some point, you know, and, and I think that all of us have a little idiosyncrasies that we do, so we, we try to, to duplicate them and so that they're not called superstitions and just routine.

Can I ask you if you could share some of your struggles? Because I know as an athlete, we go through there. I don't care who you are, you could be the best guy in the world or you could be an average player, a player that comes in and out of the lineup. But did you have any struggles as a player?

Oh, yeah. So I had a really horrible year in 2003 in Toronto. I was a free agent and I signed with Toronto as a starter, and after four starts, I was two and two, and they moved me to the bullpen, and it was a free agent year for me, and I picked Toronto because their starting rotation was not as strong as the other teams that were after me. And I was really, really upset about it and didn't, and really didn't perform the way I should have in 2003. So 2004, I ended up starting the year in the minor leagues and, you know, not knowing really what was going on and if I was going to keep playing this game and then ended up getting traded to the Yankees in 04. And then obviously my career took a big turn playing with them in 04, 05 and 06.

So what was it like playing in Yankee Stadium the first time? How was that feeling?

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Even as a visiting player, the old Yankee Stadium was just unbelievable. And, you know, everyone always asks, what's your, what's your favorite. What's your favorite game as a professional athlete? And mine is crazy because it's, it's as a, as a Tampa Bay delay, but it's in Yankee Stadium. I faced Roger Clemens the first game back after September 11, after the twin Towers. And that game was just emotionally draining and physically draining because before the game, the ceremonies were just absolutely crazy. And I'm sitting in the bullpen crying with two police officers and then have to go out and pitch against the Yankees Lineup, which was just a. Just an unreal, unreal, unreal night.

That was, I probably have to say, and I'm not speaking for you, if I was going to ask if you were going to share your most memorable baseball story, would that be it?

Yeah, 100%. And I tell everybody. And listen, I had some unbelievable memories, you know, being able to go to the playoffs and being up on Boston 3. 0 in the playoffs, in.04 and all kinds of things, but that is definitely number one. And it wasn't even as a Yankee, and I really considered the Yankees as my best time in baseball, but it was actually against the Yankees that was probably my most memorable moment in baseball.

Now, you must have loved going to Boston, playing in your hometown and making it and looking up and you're in that old. Build that old stadium there. That must have been something, too.

Yeah. So it's funny, my first major league start was at Fenway park, and it was with the Texas Rangers. So I had been in the bullpen all the other times, and. And so I ended up getting a spot start for the Rangers, and my first start was in Fenway, and I had two Massachusetts guys on my team with me, Bobby Witt and Kenny Hill. And they both took me out the night before my start. And I had a ton of family that wanted to go out, a ton of family that wanted to see me, and I said, well, listen, we have to do it after the game because these guys want to take me out, and I can't say no. They're the veterans, so I have to go with them. So I went with them, and they told me, they said, listen, we're Massachusetts kids. They did not pick us. We didn't get the opportunity to put that jersey on our back. Now we make them pay for it. Every time you come into this stadium, you make them pay for it. And all three of us were huge Red Sox fans growing up. So that kind of stuck with me my whole career, thinking, going into Fenway, this is the place that I have to pitch the best, because not only do I have my family and friends that I grew up with watching me, but I also have that little chip on my shoulder that, hey, you know, these were my favorites growing up, and I never had the opportunity to put this jersey on.

That's a great story. And it's kind of. Kind of funny because I have a little fit. When I used to go play in Detroit, I was one of those guys that just didn't want to talk to anybody. I. You can call me a loner But I would go out with my teammates. So we would fly in a night before a game to play the Detroit Red Wings. And I told my father, well, I'll see everybody after. We'll go out for dinner after. If we weren't flying out, I would make sure. He says, no, we would love to see you before. And I said, you know, I don't even think we're flying into 8 o'. Clock. He says, no, you're not. I saw, I looked at the charters. You guys are flying in at 2:00'. Clock. I sell. And I still would say, I'm not going to see you. I'd rather just be by myself as crazy. So I get the feeling, believe me, it's nice. Sometimes it's great to see the family, but it's also great to, you know, when you're with your teammates. And you could always see your family after. I hope I'm not stepping on your boundaries, but that's. I thought.

No, listen, I agree with you 100%. I wouldn't change this. I just told you that memory has stuck with me. And I would never change the fact that I did that, to do that with those guys, because I still see those guys at certain events that we do, and that's the first thing that I tell them, and they remember the same thing of telling me that. So I don't, I don't change it for. I agree with you. I do the same. I did the same thing when I was playing, too. I love my family. I love being with them. But, you know, there's sometimes that you just have to. You have to have time with those other guys. You just have to do it. Yeah.

And your sleep's important too, because you want to get that nap. And I think it's important.

You hockey guys love to take those naps.

So I have to ask your permission. Can we talk about the brawl in 2004 against the Reds? You're a big guy, and I know that was a big brawl with Alex Rodriguez, and it was a big night. Sure. Can you share that with us a little bit?

Yeah. So I another. I ended up getting another spot start. And I was starting that day the night before they hit Alex twice. And Alex was not, not happy about it. And there was really bad blood between Boston and us that year. So things. Things were just escalating like crazy. And we knew that they didn't like Alex that much, so they just kept hitting him. And I was known to be able to hit guys so that, you know, my guys were protected so when they hit him the first at bat, he, instead of letting me take care of it by hitting one of their guys, he decided to have a little conversation with, you know, the pitcher in Veritech. And then things escalated and, you know, I just got into the pile and ended up grabbing Gabe Kapler and we spun out of the pile and a couple eyes. Other guys ended up getting on and, you know, ended up being a pretty good. I mean, not as good a fight as you guys have on the ice, but, you know, it was. It was a little battle.

That. That's worse than a hockey fight, though, because you have five or six guys. You don't know if a guy's going to come up, you know, jump you, sucker you. There's guys falling. I think it's. I think a baseball fight's a lot tougher than a hockey fight because you might square off with a guy, but in baseball, you could have people coming out. You have, what, Don Zimmer coming out of the. He. He. You don't know who's coming out of the dugout and.

Right. So I. They end up. They ended up getting me down because some guy ended up tackling me from behind. And, you know, once you. Once you go back in and see the video and you see who the guys are that, you know, do take those cheap shots and, you know, take a swing. Big Papi took a swing at me and just missed as I moved my head. So, you know, obviously I remembered those. Those visions that I saw on the videotape. And, you know, once I faced those guys again, I took some action into.

My own hands and being a big guy. So tell me, I know you're with the New York Yankees alumni. They do fantasy games. Are you still involved, doing stuff with the team?

Yeah. So I do the fantasy camps for those guys. It's right here in Tampa. So I've been doing those for about 10 years. We have a great time. We have. Obviously, the Yankees have an amazing following and an amazing fan base. So these guys come in for the week, they have a great time. They get to put the uniform on, playing our, you know, spring training facility. And, you know, it's just a great week, getting to know some new people and obviously business guys in New York and stuff like that.

Yeah, that's a lot of fun when you do that. And sometimes I don't know if you get that feeling, but when you put your, you know, you put. You still put the jersey on and you want to compete, then you have to say to yourself, wait A sec. This is just for fun. And then I still had like, I maybe had issues or something because I sometimes would put the, like we put a New York Ranger jersey on for an alumni game and you're nervous, like they're watching you and say, wait, they're not. Why? It might be the same coach, but it doesn't mean anything anymore. Do you ever feel like that? Like those habits come back, like you're, wait, you're not a ball, you're a ball player, but not really a big league ball player anymore. Did you ever feel that way?

At times, yeah. So the last day of fantasy camp, they play, the campers play against us. And when that happens, you know, unfortunately, we try to crank it up a little bit and pitch a little bit harder. Well, that, that level is not there anymore. You know, the shoulder is absolutely gone. And you know, this is the way that, you know, obviously with us, that kicks, that kicks back in the adrenaline trying to get these guys out thinking that, you know, it's not some 60 year old guy that owns his own business in New York. You think it's still Manny Ramirez up there and you're trying to throw him a nasty slider when you don't really have that anymore.

That's so true. And then if they get a hit off of you, they say, oh man, look who I like. I got a head off a Tanyon. Okay.

They love that stuff. They love that. I'm like, man, I'm 50 years old, I can't even reach the plate anymore. Of course you got a hit.

Oh, I know, it's, it's funny. We play and we play in these charity games. We did one with a bunch of us last year and you have a couple young guys flying around and hey, I respect it, it's great. They're good kids having fun. But now at 50 some odd years old, we just want to have fun. So. So you're so a big guy that you are. I know you were a pretty good basketball player.

Player.

Can you share that with us a little bit?

Yeah, well, yeah, I mean, I, like I told you I was a position player. So I really didn't think that baseball was going to be, you know, the sport that was. I was going to be a pro in. And obviously I didn't think basketball was either, but I was trying to get college paid for, so I was a pretty good basketball player and I was a pretty good basketball player and I had a bunch of colleges that were asking me to come play basketball. So I kind of thought that I was going to go that route and go play College of Charleston. Actually wanted me to play basketball and baseball. I didn't know how that was going to work out because I wasn't a great student, Mike. I mean, I really, you know, wasn't killing it in the grades in the classroom. So when I did get drafted, I was like, oh man, you know, maybe this is the opportunity to go and see if I just can't do this as a baseball player. But basketball was, I enjoyed it. I had a great, I loved playing it. I just, I knew that I wasn't going to be a pro at it.

Well, there was a guy, J.J. davis, he was a first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I was introduced to him by my friend Leland Maddox, who's a baseball guy and he's from la. He's about your size, big guy. And he had the same offer. He was going to play basketball. He ended up playing some games in the major leagues for the Pirates. But he said, hey, if I, you know, I wasn't sure, you know, what was going to happen. And it's to be 6 5. To be a baseball player is a big guy. So he says, I had a, I picked basketball as a backup and he was pretty good. Did you feel it was almost like a backup plan for you that way?

Yeah, like I said, you know, it was strictly, it was strictly me trying to get school paid for. You know, we really didn't have a lot of money as when I was growing up, so I wasn't, it really was trying to find, find the best way to get to go to college. That's really all it was. And I knew that I was a good, a decent enough player to go Division 2 or Division, you know what I mean, a low division one. So that's, that's kind of the only reason why I took that route. I mean, I loved playing it. I thought it got me in great shape getting ready for baseball. So I didn't mind running the gym all day long. And my whole plan with that was really just trying to go to school.

So I talk to kids a lot and families and getting a scholarship is a lot harder than people think. I mean, look at the numbers. Like how many guys, if you were drafted by the New York Yankees and you're a shortstop and you're playing, you know, 20 plus years ago, I mean, what are you going to do? I mean, it's, the numbers are so tough, especially like in pro baseball, but even college is tough. They just don't hand scholarships out like it's candy.

No. Right. And you know, I have, I do a lot of stuff with the perfect game now, which is a big baseball, not scouting thing, but it's a, it's a big baseball where like a lot of the top prospect kids from high school go. And I sit and talk to those guys because these schools are all over them and they're 13, 14 years old. I'm like, you don't even know what this kid's going to be like in two years. But you know, I'm like, take is take everything you can because that should be the end goal is being able to get school paid for. I know they all want to be in the big leagues and they all want to play pro ball, but the reality is that's just not going to happen.

And it's tough. I mean, you people like, like you said early on, we talked about this earlier, you're up at 5:30am you're training, you're thinking the game. You are, you saw yourself playing in a big league uniform. And there's a lot of components that goes into to being an athlete. And I, I tell people that. And it's also a short career. You never know if you're going to play one year or five years. So you always have to make sure you have a plan B to back yourself up. And I was going to share one thing with you too that I know. So I know that you're a pretty good golfer.

I, I am a good golfer, yes.

Scratch golfer. Is that where you're in that category?

Right around the one? Yes. Wow.

I'm an 18 handicap. I could hit the ball.

Hockey player. There's no way. I don't buy that.

No. But I, you know, we'll play sometime. But I'm, Yeah, I hit the ball long and you know, you know, I know you know my brother well. And you know, when Ping gave us these clubs, each player, these ping i2 gold brilliance. You could bring this up to my brother. I didn't talk to him for a while after this. So he takes my clubs out. Custom clubs, they take care of us. They have your name on it. Like they did everything right from the factory.

Yeah.

Next thing I know, all my clubs are bent. So my brother was using them. So it just shows what kind of a hack he, he is. But I almost snapped. I said, you're kidding me. I can't. You understand we can't replace these. I've had these clubs forever. Those are the type of clubs you keep forever. So whatever you do, don't look, don't lend your clubs to my brother, but.

I think mine will be a little too long for your brother.

That's true also. So tell us a little bit about what you're doing today. I know you're doing the alumni stuff. I. I'm not sure if you're still on the advisory board with the Yankees. Is that the same. Is that the Sports Dreams Foundation? You're doing that?

Yes, So I have. So I. I sit on that board. So actually that. It's funny because that board became from a guy from fantasy camp. So a guy we met in fantasy camp decided to do that. He raised some money for some kids because the price of travel, baseball just getting out of control. And some kids that are really good enough to play just can't afford to play. Their families can't. So they started a foundation for kids to be able to do that. And I have my 56 foundation, which is me and my family, that we do that, me and my wife. And we give socks to children in the hospital that are going through either cancer stuff or other things, but we always know that they're cold in the hospital. So we came up with these furry socks, colorful furry socks that we go and hand out to the six kids, sick kids, so that they can have something to cheer up their day. And plus, I want to have my kids involved in something and giving back at something, so. So my wife and I came up with that, with that foundation.

Well, Tanya, that's great. It's been amazing having you on here. You're a giver, a hard worker. You lived the dream of many. And I thank you very much for being on the show.

Thank you so much for having me, Mike.